Diredction indicator



Feb. 12 1924. 1,483,655

A. E. FAULL DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Dec. 18 1919 INVENTOR fllfred E. Fauii A'rronum! Patented Feb. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PVAVTEN ALFRED E. 'FAULL, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR To aiGH'r-or wAY SIGNAL COMPANY. or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, nconronnrioiior CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTION INDICATOR;

- Application filed December 18, 1919. Serial No. 345,842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. FAULL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Direction Indicators, of which the following is a specifica tion. i

This invention relates to a direction indicator and especially to a device which is capable of visibly indicatingthe intended direction or movement of an automobile.

One ofthe objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, substantial and cheaply maufactured direction indicator for automobiles and like vehicles which may be easily installed on any automobile and readily and quickly operated when required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple arrangement whereby both visual and audible warnings may be given when stopping the automobile or when turning to the right or to the left. 1

Another object of the invention is topro vide a direction indicator which is partially manually controlled and partially automatically controlled, the automatic mechanism being actuated by the manual control, as will hereinafter be described, and is provided for thepurpose of closing'a circuit through the audible alarm and also through an illuminating circuit when driving at night.

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction, combination andarrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which v Fig.1 is a front view of the direction indicator showing the cover removed.

Fig.2 is a central vertical section through the same. f

.Fig. 3 is a front view of the direction indicator showing it attached to the manual control. i v v Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram showing the illuminating circuit, the switches and the audible alarm mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the casing supupper portion of which isextended as at wise be secured thereto.

2 to form a housing for an electric bell 3,

T OFFICE- W hereinafter to be described. The casing proper is normally closed by a cover section a in which is formed a display opening 5, said opening being closed by a window 6 which is suitably securedtherein. Mounted interior of the casing in alignment with the display opening 5 is an electric bulb 7 a shaftS and a switch 9. The shaft 8 extends cross-wise'of the casing and is secured in the end walls thereof as indicated at 10. Turnably mounted on the shaft 8 are a plurahty of sign plates. in this instance four in number, as shown at 11, 12, 13 and 14a Each plate is pressed to form a cylindrical surface and eachplate 1 is supported with relation to the shaft Sby means of end sections 15. These sections may be formed integral with the main plates, or may other- They are all turnably mounted on the shaft'8 and are interspaced with relation to eachother by means of washers 16. The respective end sections 15 are decreased in length as the innermost plate leis reached. This is of importance as it permits one plate to swing in under the other, dueto the cylindricalshape of the same, and it permits any plate to be swung forward into display position as shown at 17, (see Fig. 2) when the deviceis in operation. This is accomplished in the. following manner: i

Secured to each end section, as at 18, is a flexible wire 19. 1 These wires pass through a flexible tube 20, secured to the bottom of the casing, as at 21, and are then carried forward to the dashboard of the automobile or to thesteeringcolunin asthe case maybe.

A casing 22, secured to the dashboardor the steering column, oi'iat any point within convenient reach of the operator, isthen pro vided. This casing has four levers 23 pivotally mounted therein: as at 24 and each wire 19 is attached to itsrespective lever. The levers project through a top plate 25 in the casing 22 and this plate is slotted as at 26 to form guides for the respectivelevers, the end of each guide being offsetfas at 27 to lock the lever against movement if'desired.

Also attached to the respective end sections 15 are a plurality of coil springs 28 one for each section. These springs serve thegfunction of retainingthe plates 11, 12, 13 and 1 1, me vertical position as shown in Fig. 2. A pull on one of the levers 23 will, however,

exert a pull on the connected wire which will swing the plate to which it is attached forwardly and downwardly toward the bottom of the casing, and if desired, into enengagement with the bottom of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2, and in any event into register with the display opening as shown at 17 in Fig. 2, while release of the lever 23 will permit the connected spring 28 to exert a pull sufiicient to return both the plate and the lever 23 back to normal position. Each plate is provided with a directing word, one plate for instance having the word Back, one Stop, one Right and one Left, that is, if it is desired to stop, the sign plate carrying the word Stop is moved into register with the display opening. Similarly if it is desired to turn to one side or the other, the plate required is swung into display position by pulling the connected lever 23, the handles on the respective levers being marked so thatno mistake will be made when operating the direction indicator. To positively attract the attention of approaching drivers or pedestrians, I provide means for sounding an audible alarm simultaneously with the display of the signal. This is accomplished by providing an electric bell 3 and by automatically closing a circuit therethrough when a signal is displayed. This'is accomplished by means of a switch 9 and a cam-like projection 9, which is formed on each end section 15. One of the plates of the switch 9 is sufliciently wide to register with all the cam projections 9, therefore, when any signal is swung forward to display position, the cooperating cam 9 will engage the switch plate and force it into contactewith its cooperating plate. A circuit is thereby established through the electric bell and this will thereby produce the required audible alarm and further insure that the signal displayed is observed. The bell 3 is connectedwith a battery 30, suit-ably placed in the automobile. This battery is connected with the switch 9 and it is also connected through said switch with an electric bulb 7 and the other terminal ofthe bell A switch 31 is, however, interposed between the bulb 7 and the switch 9 to permit the bulb to be thrown. out of an electric circuit during the day as illumination will not be required during the daylight hours. This switch is, however, thrown into. operation during the night hours and a circuitwill, therefore, be closed through the bulb 7 whenever a signal is displayed thus illuminating the same end rendering it clearly visible when in display position.

From the foregoing description it should be obvious that I have provided means for manually selecting and displaying any signal desired, whether it be right, left, stop or such as R, L, B and S, so that no I mistake will be made when the signal is displayed.

The mechanism here shown is simple in construction and exceedingly compact. This is due to the fact that the plates displaying the signals are of cylindrical contour and they may therefore telescope or swing one within the other. The main switch 9, electric lights 7 and other parts of the 1nechanism may be arranged under or rearwardly of the cylindrical shaped signal plates and may be easily reached for inspection or repair if required by merely removing the cover plate 4;. The mechanism may be quickly and readily operated whenever required as 'it is merelynecessary to pull one of the levers 23 in a rearward direction, this being the only operation necessary as the levers and signals are automatically returned to normal position by the springs 28. Breakage or wear can in this instance be entirely eliminated as the mechanism isex ceedingly compact and simple and fine adjustments of any nature may be entirely obviated.

The sign plates employed are clearly visible whether employed during the daylight hours or at night. The surface of each plate is preferably painted black with the letters in white, Each plate is perforated where the lettersappear and their rear surfaces may be covered with a transparent red paper orsimilar medium so that the letters or signal will be displayed in red during the night hours, said color being preferable as it is visible and as it is the conventional color employed where warning signals of any character are displayed.

While I prefer a signal plate constructed as described, I wish it understood that any other suitable method of lettering the'plates may be employed as this does not form any part of thepresent invention.

While certain features of the invention are more or less specifically illustrated, I wish it understood that various changes in design and construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, similarly that the materials and finish of the several parts employed may be such as the experience and judgment of themanufacturer may dictate or various uses may de- I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A direction indicator comprising a casing provided with a display opening, a shaft mounted in the casing, a plurality of sign plates, each having legs at its ends swingingly connected to said shaft and one leg of each plate being longer than the companion leg and having a cam end, an electric circuit in the casing, an indicating device included in such circuit and an electric switch in the circuit located for actuation bykthe cam projecting end of each longer leg of the respective plate to close the switch when the respective sign plate is swung on said shaft.

2. A direction indicator comprising a casing provided with a display opening, a shaft mounted in the casing disposed in parallel ism with said opening, a plurality of sign plates, each having legs at its ends swingingly connected to said shaft and one leg of each plate being longer than the companion spring having connection with each of the shorter legs of the respective plates to normally maintain the plates in inoperative position, an electric circuit in the casing, an

indicating device included in the circuit, and

an electric switch included in said circuit and positioned for actuation by engagement therewith of the cam ends of the longer legs of the respective plates to close the switch when the respective plates are swung on said shaft to operative position with relation to said display opening.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED E. FAULL. Witnesses W. W. HEALEY, M. E. EWING. 

